Channel Catfish (ictalurus punctatus). Sometimes known as the fiddler, spotted cat, speckled cat, willow cat and chucklehead. The things around the mouth are the barbles or "feeler whiskers" that help them locate food.

It bit on a live minnow under a slip bobber, in the middle of a sunny day when I was catching large mouth bass.

Here is a better image showing the placement of barbles around the mouth.

Channel Catfish - Ictalurus Punctatus

Probably more than you wanted to know but it was my first catfish ever and I looked all the info up. Bye the way, the other fish is a 20" Splake.

Man oh man the mugs I am seeing here . Only faces mothers could love . . Exception being Missfishy of course . I guess I better put one of myself up again that your plastic surgeons should copy . [/img]